How to get Children Involved in the Garden

When you plant your garden, try to make a space where your child is free to experiment and grow things. From an early age, children can be involved in the cycle of the year, from planting seeds indoors or in a cold frame in the early spring and transplanting the seedlings to the garden when the danger of frost is past, to tending the garden and watching the fruits and vegetables grow, all the way to harvest. For young children, there is something marvelous about going out to the garden and bringing in a basket of lettuce, scallions and tomatoes that they helped to grow — getting children to eat vegetables is rarely a problem when they have grown, picked and washed them themselves.

Don’t forget to include fragrant herbs in your garden. The aroma of fresh basil, fennel and sage should be part of your child’s memories of childhood. The fact that they can be picked and eaten, add color, scent and flavor to your food, is yet another benefit.

If you don’t have a family garden, consider using window boxes or creating container gardens. With the right soil, watering and a sunny location, you can raise an amazing amount of produce in a small space – strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and herbs are all easy and convenient to grow. One of the greatest advantages of container gardening is that it puts the garden at a perfect level for small children.